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| Microsoft released a redesigned Outlook beta |
Microsoft has released an updated version of the Outlook app for Windows PCs to Office Insiders enrolled in the beta channel.
While recent screenshots and the full version of the app have been leaked, Microsoft's announcement has given us an idea of the features we can expect in our inboxes.
Microsoft has announced a new version of Outlook for users with Microsoft 365 or Office 365 accounts for work and education.
This version is an update of Outlook itself, not a replacement for the built-in Mail app in Windows 11. The new app is almost identical to the recently leaked version. But there are some notable differences.
Outlook is getting a lot of new features and an updated design. The new version supports the Microsoft Loop component (formerly known as Fluid Framework).
Microsoft Loop is the company's cross-office collaboration system with real-time editing support.
Other new web features include calendar and task view. With the calendar preview method, you can easily view all upcoming events sorted by day, week or month.
There's also a panel preview that helps you organize important projects in a meaningful way to stay on top of your task.
The panel preview allows you to visually view your calendar, to-do list, and all your notes so you can keep track of your tasks.
The calendar and to-do list can also be accessed from the sidebar, allowing you to quickly create tasks or events based on incoming emails.
Microsoft helps you be more productive
The new Outlook app also makes it easy to attach files and documents using @mentions, similar to adding people to conversations.
If you have something stored in the cloud, you can type the @ sign followed by the file name and you will get a list of matching files to add to the email.
Microsoft also offers a smart feature. So if you receive an email that you think is important and you forget to reply to it, Outlook will notify you.
If you need to remind yourself of something important, the new Outlook app also supports pinning messages to the top of your inbox.
You can now also fulfill your most important meeting requests by letting others know if you will be attending in person or virtually.
Most of these features come from the web version of Outlook. This web interface should become the default environment for all Outlook PC clients, including the mail app included in Windows 11.
This new Outlook for Windows experience is still only available for business users. You should try it out in the Office Insider Beta channel.